Wikimedia LGBT/2023-01-02

This was a semi-private meeting announced in various Wikimedia LGBT+ channels. The most public announcement channel was the telegram group.

From Owen:

The user group currently has 3 main workstreams in flight (Queering Wikipedia 2023 conference, Conversation series, UG incorporation) and a few others more ad-hoc (UG annual report overdue, the usual ad-hoc and reactive work).

It is clear that we do not currently have consensus on priorities across these workstreams, with some differences of opinion between us. It is important that all the stakeholders (that is GovCom and the key volunteers and contractors) come to agreement, preferably by consensus, otherwise we will fail to deliver any of them effectively. This should include agreeing a schedule for these 3 major workstreams — in particular: when will QW2023 be, when is our target date for incorporation, when should the Conversation series begin?

I have added to this invite everyone currently in the Telegram group of “WMLGBT+ Interim team”, the membership mostly agreed before and at QW2021 and our formal reps to AffCom, plus everyone who is a key volunteer or contractor on one of these projects. I have put you all on bcc: so that this email doesn't turn into a discussion thread — bring your thoughts to the meeting, not to email.

I will ping you all on Telegram as well, but it is vitally important to the success of all 3 workstreams that we urgently reach a consensus on this. In particular, QW2023 needs to start planning dates now. If you can't make any of these timeslots, please email me with your thoughts, so I can represent them in the meeting on your behalf.

attendees

Lane
Owen
Delphine
Kat Koziar
John Samuel
Z.Blace
Vic
anonymous attendees

notes

governance
- The user group currently has 3 main workstreams in flight (Queering Wikipedia 2023 conference, Conversation series, UG incorporation) and a few others more ad-hoc (UG annual report overdue, the usual ad-hoc and reactive work).
- It is clear that we do not currently have consensus on priorities across these workstreams, with some differences of opinion between us.
- It is important that all the stakeholders (that is GovCom and the key volunteers and contractors) come to agreement, preferably by consensus, otherwise we will fail to deliver any of them effectively.
- This should include agreeing a schedule for these 3 major workstreams — in particular: when will QW2023 be, when is our target date for incorporation, when should the Conversation series begin?
queering Wikipedia 2023
- 78100 E grant, 67,500 remainining
- original end date was April 2023 but we already discussed, and did not formalize, an extension before doing QW 2022
- has an active team, including the Outreachy intern
- we could delay this to prioritize incorporation first
- that would have the benefit of allowing deeper governance conversation at QW
- counterargument - having this conference convenes essential governance conversation which could settle fundamental issues in incorporation
- Comment: doing this in March or April would be challenging; we have no team organized to present it now
- we have not made progress in planning this
The 2023 conference should anticipate future conferences
- the Wikimedia Foundation has encouraged us to plan annual conferences
- the WMF has said that money is available for this
- when we recruit a conference team then also there is multi-year potential
user group incorporation
- budget not yet allocated but Chen our WMF grant officer says is available
- no fixed timeline
- work started but not at speed
- Question: what is the issue with the user group?
  - Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group is the organization receiving Wikimedia Foundation grants
  - One issue is that the user group is not coordinated with a goverance structure to deliver on grants
  - rather there are staff and volunteer teams doing these projects, and they interact with people who take on governance roles, but there is desire for more formal process
conversation series
- budget approved but not yet received
- details need to be negotiated
- grant term till 13 December 2023
- work not started
- The Wikimedia Foundation offer came with substantial additional requirements.
- Those additional requirements are also unclear and require discussion.
- We could offer to do the project without additional requirements, or ask for more money to do the additional activities, or negotiate to greatly reduce the scope of the additional requirements.
- Have not yet talked this through with WMF
other projects
- no budget
- no projects proposed
- reacting to issues will need infrequent attention
(conversations reaching consensus)
- it seems that there is consensus to prioritize the Queering Wikipedia conference
- it should happen as soon as possible, perhaps in May
if at the same time someone develops the incorporation process then great; perhaps it can begin after Queering Wikipedia is well planned
- the conversations series should begin after Queering Wikipedia is planned
why have we not hired people?
- we have discussed hiring for a year
- part of the reason we have not hired is because we have not found good candidates
- another part of the reason is that we interviewed a slate of candidates and realized that we do not have the organizational capacity to administratively support candidates to do the work we need
- we have sought advice from other Wikimedia affiliates about how to develop from $0 to having staff
- we have no firm commitment from the WMF to fund our staff indefinitely; they encourage Wiki LGBT+ to develop and ask for money, but we have no proposal and they have no offer
- we discussed whether to incorporate on the belief that if we were incorporated, then it would be easier for the WMF to fund the org
- there is a desire in the group to hire multiple people, perhaps all part time, rather than hiring only one full time person
- there are tensions when paid staff interact with Wikimedia volunteers - it can be miserable for paid staff to be reliant on volunteers
can we fund local organizers to participate in a Queering Wikipedia conference?
- yes
- in the past we have had applicants apply with very little past Wikimedia engagement
- the ideal applicant would be an existing Wikimedia affiliate organization which is underresourced
- Wikimedia community norms create conflicts
- the Wikimedia community desires funding to lower middle income countries
- the Wikimedia community also has high standards for funded conference partners
- surprisingly to many, flying people from an underserved area to an existing conference is less expensive than sponsoring an event in a less developed economy